Schenectady County, New York

NY · FIPS 36093 Democrat

Located in New York, Schenectady County has a population of 160,369 residents and a median age of 39.6 years, making it the #432 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.3%. The median home value is $235,700, and the median household income is $79,623, which is 6% above the national median.

160,369
Population
#432 of 3,222
$79,623
Median Income
+6.0% #602 of 3,222
39.6 years
Median Age
+1.8% #2,240 of 3,222
13.3%
Poverty Rate
+5.3% #1,596 of 3,222

Demographics

Schenectady County has a population of 160,369, making it the #432 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.6 years, which is 1.8% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

90.0%
Native Born
10.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Schenectady County is $79,623, ranking #602 out of 3,222 counties — 6.0% above the national median. The poverty rate is 13.3% and unemployment stands at 5.8%.

Income#602
$79,623
+6.0%
vs nation
81th percentile
Per Capita#512
$43,516
+5.5%
vs nation
84th percentile
Poverty#1,596
13.3%
+5.3%
vs nation
50th percentile
Unemployment#2,418
5.8%
+8.7%
vs nation
25th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Schenectady County is $235,700 (-16.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,194/mo and the homeownership rate is 64.0%.

Home Value#1,031
$235,700
-16.4%
vs nation
68th percentile
Rent#544
$1,194
+2.7%
vs nation
83th percentile
Homeownership#2,798
64.0%
-0.6%
vs nation
13th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Schenectady County, 36.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 7.1% above the national average, ranking #427 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
36.1% +7.1% vs nation
Rank #427 of 3,222
87th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Schenectady County is 77.1 years. 13.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#896
77.1
+2.6%
vs nation
71th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#206
13.3%
-32.0%
vs nation
94th percentile
Diabetes#482
8.9%
-20.0%
vs nation
85th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,184
39.6%
+6.1%
vs nation
31th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#907
5.3
-5.9%
vs nation
71th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#458
3.7
-16.1%
vs nation
86th percentile
Uninsured Rate#97
4.5%
-56.6%
vs nation
97th percentile
Physical Inactivity#508
21.3%
-19.3%
vs nation
84th percentile
Food Insecurity#608
11.3%
-21.6%
vs nation
81th percentile

Substance Use

13.2% of adults in Schenectady County smoke , 34.3% are obese , and 21.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 28.5 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#320
13.2%
-26.5%
vs nation
90th percentile
Adult Obesity#612
34.3%
-9.5%
vs nation
81th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,002
21.0%
+5.7%
vs nation
36th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,083
28.5
-11.8%
vs nation
49th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Schenectady County is 2.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 9.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 7.0 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#242
2.9
-63.5%
vs nation
84th percentile
Suicide Rate#88
9.3
-52.7%
vs nation
97th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#58
5.4
-70.0%
vs nation
98th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#105
7.0
-65.2%
vs nation
96th percentile

Families & Children

18.7% of children in Schenectady County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 14.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#668
6.3
-6.6%
vs nation
51th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#817
14.2
-35.1%
vs nation
73th percentile
Child Poverty#1,714
18.7%
-1.5%
vs nation
46th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Schenectady County is 64.6%. The mean commute time is 25.0 min, which is 9.5% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
64.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
25.0 min −9.5% vs nation
Rank #1,946 of 3,222
40th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Schenectady County voted Democratic with a margin of 10.8%. The vote was 55.4% Dem / 44.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.9 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +10.8%
55.4% 44.6%
Dem 71,708 votes Rep
2020 DEM +15.7%
56.8% 41.1%
Dem 74,826 votes Rep
2016 DEM +5.9%
50.1% 44.2%
Dem 61,629 votes Rep
2012 DEM +15.4%
56.7% 41.3%
Dem 59,614 votes Rep
2008 DEM +12.7%
55.3% 42.6%
Dem 69,842 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Schenectady County, New York

Schenectady County, New York has a total population of 160,369, making it the 432nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Schenectady County is 39.6 years, which is 1.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Schenectady County is $79,623, which ranks #602 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.0% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.3%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.8%.

The median home value in Schenectady County is $235,700, 16.4% below the national median. Renters in Schenectady County pay a median gross rent of $1,194 per month. The homeownership rate is 64.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Schenectady County, 36.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 7.1% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.0 min.

Schenectady County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 67.7% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (9.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (8.3%).

All data for Schenectady County, New York comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.